Before you hand over money or documents

If you are preparing to work abroad from Nepal, you may be balancing a job offer against a loan, family savings, a deadline and pressure to travel quickly. You deserve enough time to check who is recruiting you, what job has actually been approved and what you are being asked to pay. A professional-looking office, social-media page or message is not proof that an agency is authorised or that a particular vacancy is genuine. Check the details through the Department of Foreign Employment (DOFE) and keep your own records before making a commitment.

This guide gives you a sequence to follow. It does not accuse any company, guarantee a job or replace the Department’s current instructions. Government records change, and a licence record alone cannot prove that every person using a company’s name is acting for it. If a recruiter’s information differs from an official record, pause and ask DOFE to clarify before you pay, surrender a passport or sign a contract.

Step 1: Get the exact agency name and permission number

Ask the person who contacted you for the recruitment agency’s full registered name as shown on its DOFE record and its permission or licence number. Get the details in writing. Do not rely only on a nickname, logo, Facebook page or a number on a visiting card. If you are dealing with a branch office, ask for the branch’s full address and how it is associated with the licensed agency.

Open DOFE’s Recruitment Agency search. The official screen provides fields for permission number, agency name and status. Search using the number first, then check the name as a second comparison. Read the full result, including the displayed status and proprietor or labour representative information where available. Record the date you checked and save a copy for your own file.

Names may appear with different spacing, abbreviations or English spellings. A close spelling is not enough to assume two records refer to the same legal entity. Compare the permission number, address and other identifying details. If there is no result, the status is unclear, or the person gives a different licence number from the one in the official result, contact DOFE using contact details shown on its own website. Do not pay someone to “fix” a missing result through an unofficial channel.

Step 2: Confirm the status and understand its limit

Look carefully at the current status shown in the official lookup. If the screen indicates a problem, inactive status or a restriction, do not proceed on the assurance that it is “only a website issue.” Ask the Department what the status means for the specific transaction and whether the agency is currently permitted to recruit. If the result cannot be loaded, try the official service again later or contact DOFE; a search failure is not proof that the agency is valid or invalid.

A valid agency record is one important check, but it does not establish that a particular job offer is approved, that an individual broker works for the agency, that the contract matches the offer, or that every requested charge is lawful. A fraudster could impersonate a licensed company. Use a phone number and address you independently obtain from official records, then call or visit the agency through that route to confirm that the staff member and vacancy are genuinely connected to it.

Step 3: Ask for the approved lot number and search it yourself

For a specific recruitment demand, ask for its lot number and the employer’s full name. Search that number in DOFE’s Pre-permission Detail service. DOFE’s job-search service also lets you look across fields such as destination country, employer, recruiting agency, post, salary range and interview dates. Start from the Department’s own portal rather than a link forwarded by an agent.

Compare the result with the job you were promised: recruiting agency and permission number, employer, country, job title, number of vacancies where shown, interview venue and date, salary, contract duration, work schedule, accommodation and food terms, and total expenses displayed. The exact fields can vary. A missing value is a reason to ask for clarification, not permission to fill in the blank with a verbal promise. Save the lot number and the result page or printout with the date you checked.

If the recruiter says the lot number will be provided only after you pay, ask why. Do not treat urgency as a substitute for verification. If an advertisement contains a lot number, compare it with the DOFE record. DOFE’s important-information page has also described ways to verify advertised lot details; check the current instructions on the official Department site before using any SMS service, short code or other channel because contact procedures can change.

Step 4: Compare the written contract with the approved vacancy

Read the employment contract in a language you understand, and request a translation if you need one. Check the employer’s legal name, country and work location; your position and duties; basic salary and how overtime is calculated; working hours and rest days; contract period; leave; accommodation, food and transport arrangements; deductions; insurance; and the conditions for ending or renewing the contract. Compare each important term against the job advertisement and DOFE lot details.

Ask whether the salary quoted is gross or take-home pay, which deductions may be made and who pays for food, accommodation, transport, medical costs or tools. For example, a high salary headline can mean something different if housing, meals or recruitment-related costs are deducted. Do not assume benefits that are not written down. If the contract you are asked to sign changes the employer, country, post, pay or fees from the verified vacancy, pause and ask the agency and DOFE for an explanation before signing.

Keep a complete copy of the contract and every page you sign. Never sign a blank page, a document with missing amounts or a version you are not allowed to read. Do not accept a promise that the “real contract” will be provided after arrival. A mismatch between the signed agreement and the job you expected can be difficult and costly to resolve once you have travelled.

Step 5: Get every cost explained and receipted

Request an itemised written breakdown before paying anything: what each payment is for, who receives it, when it is due, whether it is refundable and which official document supports it. Recruitment-related charges, medical tests, orientation, insurance, welfare contributions, travel and document costs may have different rules and payment routes. Do not rely on a total quoted verbally, and do not assume an old fee chart is current. Confirm applicable charges against DOFE’s live instructions and the relevant official provider.

Pay only through the documented process that applies to your case. Avoid handing cash to a broker, sub-agent or individual who cannot issue an official receipt in the recruiting agency’s name. For every payment, ask for a receipt that states the actual amount, date, purpose, payer, receiving agency and authorised signature or stamp where required. Check that the amount on the receipt equals the amount you handed over. If you pay in instalments, keep a separate receipt for each instalment and maintain a running total.

Do not transfer money into a personal account just because someone claims the company account is unavailable. Before making a bank transfer or digital payment, confirm the account details directly with the agency using independently verified contact information. Keep the transaction reference and a copy of the written request. If the payment purpose or recipient changes at the last minute, stop and verify it again.

Step 6: Protect your passport and identity documents

You may need to show documents during a legitimate recruitment or official process, but you should know why an original is being requested, who is holding it, how it will be protected and when it will be returned. Ask for a written acknowledgement if an original passport or certificate must be deposited. Keep clear copies of your passport, visa, contract, DOFE records, receipts, insurance and training documents with a trusted family member. Store digital copies securely and do not post identity documents publicly.

Never give another person your account passwords, one-time codes or access to your email or FEIMS profile. A person helping you fill a form should explain each entry and let you review it before submission. Check that your name, passport number, employer, destination and job match the documents. If someone asks you to sign a false statement, use another person’s identity, hide a payment or submit altered documents, refuse and seek guidance from DOFE.

Step 7: Verify the final labour-approval process

Agency and lot checks happen before departure; they are not a substitute for obtaining the labour approval required for your own case. Follow DOFE’s current instructions and official online services for your application type. Use the official FEIMS entry point linked from the Department website, read the current checklist, and make sure medical, orientation, insurance and other steps are completed only through providers or channels currently recognised for that process.

Before travel, confirm that your final documents refer to the same job and employer you agreed to. Keep your labour approval evidence, visa, contract, agency details and receipts accessible. Do not travel to work on the assumption that an entry visa automatically serves as permission for foreign employment from Nepal. If the destination, employer or duties have changed, ask the relevant authority how to correct the records before departure.

Step 8: Pause when the facts do not match

Stop the payment or signing process if the agency cannot be found, the status is concerning, the lot number leads to another employer, the salary or job differs, the cost breakdown keeps changing, or you are threatened for asking questions. Save messages, advertisements, call details, payment requests, receipts and copies of documents. Record dates and the names or phone numbers involved. Keep the originals safe and avoid confronting someone alone if you feel at risk.

Use the current complaint and assistance contacts published by DOFE. The Department website has listed call-centre numbers including 1141 and 1660010005 in its contact information; check the live page before calling in case the routes have changed. You can also ask the Department which office or complaint system handles your situation. If you are in immediate danger, contact local police or the appropriate emergency service. Seek help promptly; delay can make evidence harder to preserve.

A final check from the worker’s point of view

Before you commit, you should be able to explain—in your own words—who the licensed agency is, what the lot number confirms, who the employer is, what job and salary are written in your contract, the total payments and recipients, and how you will get official help if the details change. Your family should be able to see the real cost and a copy of the documents without relying on a verbal summary.

Use our labour-permit preparation guide to organise the later application steps. For the agency and vacancy checks, return to the official DOFE recruitment-agency lookup, lot search and job search. Check them again close to the time you pay and travel. A good opportunity should withstand careful questions and written verification.